Final Moments
by Hippie Chick 16
Summary: Ever wondered what the gang did during their time after the Kaine island job? Well, here's your chance in this short fanfic starring everyone's favorite turtle.
1. From Bad to Worse

This is my first fanfic that I have ever done before. Don't hate too hard. I hope you all enjoy. I personally thank DnD King for helping me on this fanfic!

* * *

"Sly! You in here? SLY!" Bentley shouted from the top of his lungs when he finally reached the inner sanctum of the Cooper. After the battle Bentley and Murray ensued earlier with Dr. M, the deranged mad scientist took off escaping into the Cooper Vault. Bentley decided to chase after him and save his friend from being hurt further. Earlier when the first attempt to get into the vault was made and Sly almost was eaten by Dr. M abomination creature, he was unsure that Sly was okay from the concussion he sustained and feared that his friend would end up dead if took a serious hit one more time. Especially, when the whole place was collapsing.

_Sometime earlier . . . _

Bentley and Murray watched as Dr. M headed into the Cooper Vault, to kill Sly within the sacred place of his ancestor's legacy.

"He's getting away! What do we do?" Murray exclaimed, clearly seeing that his best friend and leader would soon be in trouble.

"I'll . . . think of something. Just give me some time." Bentley stated trying to keep his confidence showing, but deep down he knew the situation was bad. _What do I do!? What do I do!?_

"You know something Bentley?" Murray asked.

"WHAT!" Bentley exclaimed, with a strain within his voice of panic.

"You think awesome." Murray said calmly.

"Thanks pal." Bentley replied with strain still within his voice.

As much as Bentley appreciated the comment from his best friend it wasn't enough to still his confidence in his self to come up with a plan for what to do next. _Maybe I can go after him? No, only a Cooper can get through that gauntlet. Then again, if a mad genius like Dr. M can get it, maybe I can in._ Bentley thought but that mad mandrill could possibly more sophisticated technology than his. Bentley wasn't too sure on what to do. He had faith in Sly's abilities but he didn't want to come even close to losing him like earlier.

**CCCCCRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAASSSSHHHHHHHHHHH!**

Suddenly the entrance area in the vault started shaking violently and rocks started falling. Murray hurried close to Bentley to protect him from harm. The rocking within the lower sanctum lasted for a couple minuets then stopped.

"What was that?" Murray asked still shaken from the little earthquake.

"I don't know." _What in earth caused that and it sounded like it came from outside. _Bentley puzzled over the cause until a voice came over the binocucom.

"Bentley, are you there? Are you okay? Come in!" The voice was Penelope's.

"Yeah, Murray and I are alright. Penelope, what on earth was that?"

"It was the Whale-Fly creature from before that Sly fought from his biplane. It crashed right into the center of the island. Bentley, the island center is likely to have been weakened from that crash and could collapse at any second. You've got to get out of there!"

"We can't leave! Sly's still in the vault!" Murray shouted through his binocucom.

"That and Dr. M went to go after Sly. Murray and weren't able to st- "Bentley was cut off when another violent shaking started happening.

"Bentley, we must insist, it's not looking very well out here and we can assume that it's bad where you and Murray are. Sly would want you both to get out of there for your own safety." Panda King stated through his end of the binocucom.

"Yeah man, you and the hippo would get crushed like little cockroaches if you go a chasin' after Sly. We've got to bail and I don't have the intention of getting squished myself." Dimitri stated.

"Yes, but –"Another shaking cutted off Bentley and it felt like it was worse than before. _If it's bad here, it has to be worse in the inner sanctum. In fact, that's probably why there's more shaking than before, the inner sanctum would likely be in the center of this place then. . . Sly._ Bentley made a decision, and one he knew that Sly would do if he was in the same position as him.

"That's it. I'm going in to get Sly!" Bentley started making his way towards the entrance when a voice stopped him. "Bentley, no! You can't! You're going to get hurt or worse!" Murray shouted, Bentley could clearly see that his friend didn't want to see him hurt again like from the Clock-La incident but he had to save Sly. "I have to Murray. He would've done the same for me if I went in there." Bentley replied, quickly pushing his chair to the entrance door not looking back.

Using his wheelchair boosters, he flew himself to the entrance and headed inside. _I have to save Sly. My friend . . . my brother. _Bentley quickly picked up his speed. _Hang on Sly, I'm coming!_


	2. Death of a Doctor

When Bentley finally reached the inner sanctum that was almost close to collapsing. All he saw as an unconscious Dr. M and a huge hole that looks like it was blasted through but there was no sign of Sly. Sly scanned the whole entire room but there no sign of his friend anywhere.

"Sly, where are you!? SLY!" Bentley kept shouting but there was still no response. _He's gone. Not dead, but gone._ Bentley said to himself silently and the huge hole on the other side of the inner sanctum. Bentley knew from experience that there was no way that Sly created the huge hole. He didn't have that kind of power to create a hole that big. _Was it Dr. M who created the hole? No, there's no way he could've created that hole either._ Dr. M wouldn't that kind of power on him either, sure he was powerful with his technology but he wouldn't have that kind of power to blast a hole of that size.

_If Sly or Dr. M weren't the ones who created the hole then . . . who was it? _Bentley continued to ponder until he felt the room shaking more violently. _I've got to get the heck out of here! Maybe Sly has already escaped._ Bentley rushed back to the door he came from and head back the way he came to find Murray and leave the island before the whole place would come crashing down.

Bentley rushed through the vault as quick as he could, avoiding falling boulders along the way. Finally, Bentley made it back to the entrance of the vault.

"Bentley! Are you okay little buddy?" Murray asked as he ran up to Bentley.

"I'm fine Murray." Bentley replied patting himself to get rid of dust that fell on him while inside the vault.

"Bentley . . . where's Sly? Murray asked with worried look on his face.

"He's gone, Murray . . . I don't know how but-"

"COOPER GANG!" Murray and Bentley heard a loud shriek coming from behind them and they saw Dr. M standing not too far away from them.

"You dirty little rotten thieves. You ruined decades of my life I have been trying to get into and now it will be lost forever because of your worthless man of a leader, Sly, and all of the members of your idiotic gang!" Dr. M stated with a hateful fury within his voice.

"Better for it to be lost forever then for it to fall into the likes of you and if Sly was here, he would agree!" Bentley stated standing up for his leader and best friend.

"I'm not going to let this treasure disappear, not from my grasp! NEVER!" Dr. M shouted from the top of his lungs. He started pounding his chest as the ceiling above him started collapsing above him. Bentley and Murray watched as Dr. M stood there unwilling to leave as the walls caved in the vault. Sure enough, a large amount of rubble came down upon the mad scientist crushing him underneath.

_That's the last of Dr. M. That man spent his life lusting over the Cooper fortune and he wasn't going to give it up, no matter what the cost . . . even if it meant death._ Bentley's thoughts of the mad scientist were interrupted by Murray.

"Bentley, we've got to go now before this whole place comes apart!" Murray exclaimed.

"Right, let's get going!" With Bentley's agreement the two jumped up to the van and headed back out the entrance.

Much to Bentley's disappointment, they had to use the same method that got them up to the vault to launch them back to where the ship was waiting for them.

"I said it once and I'll say it again, we're never doing that again." Bentley stated adjusting his helmet after a rough landing.

"Sorry little buddy, but it was the only for us to get back down." Murray stated looking back at his friend.

Bentley and Murray stepped out of the van and were greeted by Penelope. "Thank goodness you're alright!" Penelope exclaimed as she ran up to hug Bentley. Bentley returned her hug, grateful that he could see, hear, and touch her again. Bentley was still shaken by the fact that he managed to get out of the vault without getting hurt or killed, but was still happy that he was still alive to see his friends. Bentley looked over Penelope's shoulder and noticed that the ship was gone and only a small motor boat was near the shore.

"Penelope, where are the others and, where is the ship?" Bentley asked breaking away from the hug and looked at Penelope.

"The others are making their way towards the island that you and Sly used when you first got here to do reconnaissance. I stayed behind to make that you made it." Penelope answered.

"Penelope . . . that wasn't really necessary but-," Bentley started but Penelope cut him off. "Wait a second. Where's Sly?" Penelope asked.

"Sly's . . . gone Penelope. Somehow he managed to get out of the vault. He was already gone by the time I reached the inner sanctum. I can only hope that he's already at the rendezvous point to meet up with us." Bentley answered.

"And Dr. M?" Penelope asked.

"He's dead; he got crushed while inside the Cooper Vault when the place was collapsing." Bentley answered.

"Guys, we've got to get out of here. This whole place looks like it's coming down!" Murray stated. Suddenly, there was a huge explosion not too far away from the trio.

"Quick into the speed boat!" Penelope shouted. Not giving a moment's hesitation, the three of them jumped into the boat, and sped away to the other island.

Bentley, Murray and Penelope arrived at the rendezvous island with no trouble and started running into the jungle to get some distance away from them and Kaine Island. Eventually, Murray carried Bentley in one arm and Penelope in the other. Climbing up a steep hill proved difficult for Penelope and Bentley proved difficult and Murray decided to help his friends by carrying them in his arms to help gain more distance. As soon as Murray reached the top of the hill, the trio heard a huge explosion coming from behind them. Bentley and Penelope looked up along with Murray looking behind to witness the island's destruction. Security towers started falling down back on the island, explosions blasting from various areas, and the whole area of the island was soon in flames.


	3. Final Fate

Murray put Bentley and Penelope down onto the ground. The trio looked out to the island as it was coming down in flames. Bentley and Murray looked on lost in their thoughts.

_This is it. The final fate of the Cooper Legacy. All the people we have met and places we have seen. We now become a bigger team and family than we have before. Sly, Murray, Guru, Penelope, Panda King and Dimitri. We worked for a long time to get Sly into that vault and now the secrets are hidden again, only this time for good. Sly, where the heck are you? I can only hope that you found what you were looking for in there._

"Bentley, do you think we'll be able to find Sly." Murray asked still staring at the island.

"I don't know, Murray. It's hard to say if we'll see him again." Bentley replied looking at Murray.

"Boys, we need to go find the others. Maybe we'll find Sly while we're looking for the others?" Penelope replied confidently. Penelope wanted to help aid the Bentley and Murray's confidence that their friend and leader was still around . . . and alive.

"She's right. Let's get going." Bentley replied. With that, the trio walked into the jungle to look for the others not looking back at Kaine Island.

_Hours Later . . . ._

Bentley, Murray and Penelope searched every inch of the island while picking each gang member one by one. After a while of searching for Sly, the gang stopped for a break from walking around looking for their friend and leader. While the gang was resting Bentley filled in the others about what happened in the vault and how their leader was missing.

"So, the crazy doc finally bit the dust, huh? What a way to go." Dimitri stated while taking a puff from his cigarette.

"And now, the Cooper legacy is lost forever this time." Panda King added.

"Yes, and now we've lost Sly as well. If there's anything good out of this, we know that Sly is still alive." Bentley replied.

"Not to down things here, we don't know that for sure Bentley. I mean, Sly hasn't contact us to let us know where he is. Second, the hole that was created in the vault, it could've been created by Dr. M trying to attack Sly." Penelope stated.

"Those are good logical points. However, Sly's binocucom could've been damaged where he can't contact us. Second, when I looked at that hole back at the vault, it looked like the hole was blasted open from the outside, not the inside." Bentley stated.

"We still don't know what happened to Sly. Heck, we don't even know what happened in the inner sanctum when Dr. M finally reached him." Murray added.

"I don't know either Murray. Look, we should at least try to find a trace of him or something. Something that may tell us where he is or what happened to him. I'm going on ahead; you guys can rest for a bit. Once you're done, catch up with me." Bentley replied. With that, the turtle went deeper into the jungle to look for his friend.

Bentley searched in bushes, looked up trees, and looked behind rocks to find Sly but there was still no sign of his best friend.

_We've searched all over this island and there's no sign of Sly anywhere. He couldn't have just left us without saying anything, let alone where he was going. Maybe, Sly is . . . no. NO! Don't you dare think that! You saw the hole back in the inner sanctum, and he was gone by the time you got there. On top of that, a whole major fortune that could've been in our hands is now lost and one we helped Sly and worked hard for. Then again, I guess it isn't a total lost. I mean, we've created a new team and made new friends. On the other hand, now we won't experience new heists without Sly, it's just not the same without him._ Bentley thought. At that moment, Bentley had a flashback of what Sly said to him back at the hospital when Murray and Sly tried to bust him out.

"**You're the only person who can break us out of prison Bentley. You're our eyes, our ears, and our brains. All for one, and one for all, Bentley. That's how this works." **Those words Sly said to him that day gave Bentley the reason to get back into the field. He may have lost his legs, but he was still willing to go out into the field with Sly. Sly knew deep down that even though his own legs were gone, Sly knew that he still needed his help. _Heck, he even protected me and Murray from facing prison. He turned himself into Inspector Fox so Murray and I could have our freedom. I guess I can consider that payback for getting him out of prison from The Contessa. He would give up his own freedom and his whole legacy of being thief just for me and Murray to have our freedom. He would sacrifice everything for our sake, even if it meant his life._

"**Think of it this way, Bentley. If it were you in that vault, and Sly and I were out here. What would he do?" Murray asked when Bentley was close to being attacked by one of Dr.M's goons and questioned his loyalties to Sly earlier. **

"**Stop these thugs . . . and protect his friend." Bentley replied.**

"**I know the pain that you suffer working under your inferior." Dr. M stated to Bentley.**

"**It's no secret; I'm smarter than the other guys. But there's more to it than that." Bentley replied. **

"**Like what?" Dr.M stated laughing mocking at Bentley.**

"**Like brotherhood." Bentley replied sternly. **

"**Brotherhood?" the doctor scoffed.**

"**That's what he wants you to think. It's a tool to keep you in line." The doctor replied his voice as cold as ice.**

"**No, that's the thing that keeps us happy and alive." Bentley interjected.**

_How could I think of such a thing like that? Playing second fiddle to Sly. He saved my life, multiple times. He saved me from going to prison, twice, from my own self-pity, and from that creature of Dr.M's. He put himself in front of Murray and I for years. We are friends, equals like he said. He even wanted Murray and I to go with him into the vault. We're a team, a family. We've always done things together, always. All for one and one for all. That's how it works, in fact, that's how it's always worked with us. But now, he's gone. My leader . . . my friend . . . my brother . . . he's gone. Sly, what the heck happened in that inner sanctum? I can only wish that there was a sign to tell me that you're still alive. Just something, anything._

Bentley kept moving forward through the jungle. He pushed back the leaves of a bush and saw what made his heart skip multiple beats. "What the . . .?" Bentley said to himself.


	4. Million Dollar Card

"You guys honestly think we'll be able to find the cracker box on this island?" Dimitri stated taking another puff from his cigarette.

"It seems to be unlikely. We have found no trace of Sly here on this island." Panda King stated.

"It just doesn't make sense. Why would Sly leave without telling us where he got off to?" Penelope replied shaking her head trying to make sense of the matter.

"Herpa shunto mai. Haga flu hejaja." Guru stated from Murray's shoulder.

"I don't think so master. There's no way that Sly is dead. If he was dead, Bentley would have found him in the inner sanctum." Murray replied.

"It's hard to say for sure, Murray. We haven't found any trace of Sly anywhere. Don't get me wrong, I want to search for Sly along with the rest of you, and I want to try for Bentley's sake. However, we may need to consider that the worst has probably happened to Sly." Penelope interjected.

"Try telling that to your boyfriend, missy. That turtle just doesn't want to quit on him just yet." Dimitri argued.

"Yes but-"

"YOU GUYS! Get over here quick!" It was Bentley voice that shouted in the distance.

"It's Bentley!" Penelope stated. Looking at the direction where the shout came from.

"Do you all believe that he's found Sly?" Panda King questioned.

"We better find out. Come on!" Murray stated.

The gang ran as fast as they could until they found Bentley standing close to a cave.

"Bentley, what is it? Did you find Sly?" Murray shouted from a distance.

"Just all of you come over here! You guys are not going to believe what I found!" Bentley shouted back waving them over while pointing to the cave at the same time.

The gang walked over slowly to the turtle. As soon as they got close enough they saw what freak out Bentley so much to them come over. All of them gasped to see right at the cave entrance was Sly's cane being held into position by the cave entrance, his red pouch draped over the cane, and one of his signature calling cards.

"Is that . . ." Murray started but Bentley cut him off.

"Yes Murray, it's Sly's cane, along with his pouch and his calling card, but no Sly."

"If all the dude's stuff is here, then that means . . ." Dimitri started.

"Sly's gone. Alive, but he's gone. He's left us." Panda King added.

"Sly would never leave his stuff behind, never ever." Murray stated.

"If that's the case why would he . . ." Penelope started but Bentley already had the answer that the others needed to hear.

"I think I know why. I think Sly doesn't want to be found. If he did, then he would've contacted us on the binocucom. He also knew that we would find his stuff too if he left it behind." Bentley stated.

"Yeah but, where did he go? What reason would he have for leaving us and going off on his own?" Murray replied with sadness in his voice, trying to comprehend that his little buddy was gone.

"I don't know, Murray. I just don't know." Bentley replied shaking his head sadly.

"Well, this is just great. Here, we have gone to great lengths to bust into this family vault. Almost getting killed by mutants and blowing up along with that forsaken island. Our leader is gone, and we have no idea where the cracker box went. On top of that, we had a major greasy sweet fortune that was within our grasp and now . . . it's gone, just gone, along with the crazy doctor too." Dimitri rambled.

"I wouldn't consider it to be a total lost." Bentley stated looking up at the others.

"I don't mean to say this Bentley but, for once, I have to route with Dimitri on this one. What good could possibly come from all of this, all the trouble we went through to pull off a major heist like this?" Penelope stated.

"Because . . ." Bentley started.

"Because of what?" Penelope asked.

"Well . . . you guys all know how Sly leaves one of his calling cards behind like always after we pull a heist?" Bentley questioned.

"Yeah?" The gang said at the same time.

"Well, I think this one is worth millions this time." Bentley stated.

The gang at first didn't understand Bentley's meaning. Before anyone could say anything, Bentley put his hand up and pointed his hand toward the inside of the cave. The gang's mouths gaped open at what they saw Bentley's reasoning for Sly's calling card. Inside the cave they saw that it was filled with gold, diamonds, artifacts, various items that could be worth millions. It was the legacy they all fought for back on the island with Sly, Sly's inheritance, the Cooper Vault's treasures.


	5. Going Home

Hello everyone! I noticed that not many people have read my fanfiction. i guess that's what i get because this is my first time being here. Give this story a chance please and thank you. please review!

* * *

Everyone within the gang was in utter shock because of their leader leaving behind an enormous fortune behind for them to collect. Bentley kept thinking over in his mind of what could cause Sly to leave them all behind and not wanting to be found as well. As far as Bentley knew, Sly took care of Dr. M back in the vault. Deeper back in his mind however, the huge hole back in the vault still puzzled him. He tried to ignore the thought and focus on collecting the family inheritance that his best friend left behind for the gang. Murray had to get the van from the ship and bring it to the cave to load it up as full as it can get to save the gang from walking back and forth between the ship and the cave.

After a matter of hours, they finally loaded the last of treasure that was left in the cave and shut the doors to the back of the van. The gang searched around the area one last time in hopes of finding Sly or anything that he may have left behind to tell the gang where he got off to but there wasn't anything for the gang to know where Sly had gone. Panda King and Guru stayed behind at the ship to load the treasure onto the ship. Murray, Penelope, and Dimitri hopped into the van, all except for Bentley who was looking around one last time. He looked down at the golden cane and red pouch he held in his hand. He looked behind him at the others in the van.

_So much has happened. I never thought we would pull off a heist as big as this. Not to mention creating a team of this size. I wish you were here with us Sly. I know you would have a huge grin on your face if you saw us now with this treasure in our possession._ Bentley thought, moving his fingers across Sly's family cane.

"Bentley. It's time to go." Penelope stated leaning out of the van.

"Yeah, bro, let's go." Dimitri stated leaning back against the seat in the van.

Bentley nodded his head and hopped into the van. With Bentley climbing in, Murray started the engine and they were off to the ship to go home.

The gang had no trouble getting back out to sea with the ship. The weight of all the treasure they collected didn't seem to affect the ship, and since the biplane was destroyed, the treasure just filled that weight. After some time leaving the island, the gang could finally see Kaine Island. Some parts of Kaine Island were still in flames but mostly it was smoking. It almost looked like a volcano blew up on the island. Everybody looked back not saying a word; everyone was in their own thoughts about what had just happened and what they have been through. Bentley thought it would seem to be a time of celebration but it wasn't . . . not without Sly.

"It's finally done. The job was a success. We managed to get Sly into the Cooper Vault and get the treasure that was inside." Penelope stated.

"Yes, the deed is done." Panda King added nodding his head.

"Yeah, but Sly is . . ." Murray started but couldn't say the last word.

"Gone." Bentley stated finishing Murray.

With that statement, Bentley couldn't hold his sadness back any longer. Bentley felt tears come up to his eyes and they started flowing down his face. Bentley lowered his face so the gang could not see his sadness but it was no use. Murray noticed and rushed over to his side to comfort his friend. As soon as Bentley felt Murray hugging him his sobs grew louder. He didn't try anymore to hide his emotions; he just let it all out. As far as Bentley knew, he didn't cry that hard before except back at the orphanage when the other kids picked on him. Bentley could tell that Murray was crying too. He felt the tears of his friend falling down behind his shell. It was hard for Bentley to accept the fact that his best friend that he knew from Happy Camper Orphanage was gone. They all stayed together since childhood and never split apart from each other, but now Sly was gone. To where, they didn't know.

The others were all watching Bentley and Murray in their hug watching their sadness unfold of their friend and leader. Panda King and Guru had looks of sympathy and sadness on their faces. Both had their eyes in meditation and maybe holding their tears back, Dimitri looked like he was going to break down in tears but he was doing his best not to cry. Penelope already had tears flowing down her face. Penelope walked over to Bentley and joined in the hug to give comfort to him.

"It'll be okay Bentley. The good thing is that we know that he's still alive. I'm sure that we'll see him again." Penelope stated looking at Bentley.

Bentley looked up at Penelope with tears still rolling down his face.

"I know Penelope, but this is the first time Murray and I have truly been separated from Sly. It's just not going to be the same without him." Bentley stated with strain within his voice.

"We understand your feelings Bentley and we all feel the same way as you and Murray do. However, Penelope is right. There might be a chance we'll see Sly again. It is not a final goodbye; it is just a farewell for now." Panda King stated.

"Yeah, man. I mean it's not like the dude is disappearing forever. He probably wanted to be off on his own for a while and whatever his reasons are for going, I don't know, but I'm sure the coon will come back to us." Dimitri stated reassuringly placing his hand on Bentley's shoulder.

The others nodded in agreement. Bentley wasn't sure what to think about the whole situation but Panda King and Dimitri were right. There was a chance he could see his best friend again soon. He still wished that he could see his best friend one last time, let alone having a chance to say goodbye to him but it was Sly's choice. Bentley nodded realizing the outcome of the reality of it all. There was one last thing that Bentley wanted to do.

After whipping away his tears, Bentley held out his hand put in front of him. Murray, understanding what he was doing, put his hand on top of his. Guru walked over and put his hand on top of Murray's. Penelope put her hand on top of Guru's while putting her other hand behind Bentley's back. Panda King walked over and put his hand on top of Guru's. Dimitri walked over and put his hand on top of Panda King's hand.

"For Sly." Bentley stated.

"For Sly." The others echoed.

The others scooted closer together and enveloped into a big hug, giving one another comfort for the loss of their leader, teammate, and friend. All of them saying their goodbyes silently and sending a silent prayer to Sly, where ever he was now.

_Later that night . . ._

Bentley couldn't sleep. No matter how hard he tried, Bentley just couldn't fall asleep. He mind kept drifting to Sly about wondering where he was, why he left, and what he was doing now. _I need some fresh air. _ Bentley got up from bed, hopped into his wheelchair, and went up on deck. When he got outside he saw that the sky was cleared up and the moon was out. Bentley looked up onto the stars trying to find an answer to his questions about Sly. Bentley knew that he never had trouble to answer difficult questions but these were questions he couldn't seem to answer. No answer from the stars came to Bentley. Bentley sighed loudly to the fact that there was no answer to the questions of what happened to his best friend.

_Sly, you left all you riches here for us to take back home with us. This was supposed to be all of us together when we share this moment, not without you. Although, you made your choice on what you wanted to do and I don't judge you for it. It's always been your decision, as our friend and leader, to do what's best for the team. Of course, I know you've always considered my word as well. All of ours, actually. However, this choice that you made completely revolves around you this time. Almost like the choice you made to save Murray and I from being arrested, and from me being eaten by Dr. M's creature. I don't know what happened within the inner sanctum that caused you to leave us. I can only hope that where you are now . . . that you're happy. That's all that matters to me . . . to all of us. Most of all, we'll miss you and we hope we'll see you again soon._

Bentley felt tears come up to his eyes again and let them flow out. After an hour, Bentley finally went back down below deck and managed to go to sleep, dreaming of the adventures he had with Sly and Murray.

Within the month, the gang managed to get to the Guatemala Canal. Dimitri contacted one of his associates from Guatemala who could take care of the ship. Dimitri also managed to order a large number of wooden crates to pack up the treasure into them so no one could see the fortune the gang carried. After a few days, the Cooper treasure was finally packed into wooden crates, along with the van and gear gang, onto a plane heading for Florida. Upon the arrival of Florida, Bentley managed to get the planes ticket to get back home to Paris along with getting the treasure packed into the planed without any hassles. The gang hoped on a one way plane back home to Paris with the feeling of finally getting home. Bentley however, had a feeling of hope that Sly would be there waiting for them.

* * *

I know this chapter was relatively short but this was the only way I could end this chapter. don't worry though there's more to come, that is if you continue reading this.


	6. French Welcome

"Man, I never thought it would feel so good to be back home." Dimitri stated carrying his bags through the door of the safe house.

"How is it that you guys carry so much gear and have no trouble with it?" Penelope asked rubbing her shoulders from carrying her equipment bags.

"We've done it for years, so I guess you could say that we're used to carrying so much stuff with us. Plus most of the time we leave most of the equipment in the van anyway. "Murray stated setting his bags on the ground.

"Right, Bentley?" Murray looked over at his friend but noticed that he wasn't there.

"Talkin' of which. Where is the turtle dude anyway?" Dimitri stated looking around the living room area for any sign of the genius.

"I saw him come into the safe house with his equipment." Panda King stated setting his firework tools onto the kitchen table.

"If he came in, then where is he?" Penelope stated.

Little did the gang know that Bentley did come into the safe house but, right after Bentley set his gear to the ground he headed straight for Sly's room. Bentley opened the door to the room and saw that it was completely empty and just the way that Sly left it when they headed for Florida to recruit Dimitri to the team. Bentley tried the study next, but Sly wasn't in the study either. The study was created for Bentley for him to read his books and for Sly to read the Thievius Racoonus whenever he needed some private time. Bentley breathed out a deep sigh. _He truly is gone. Where in the heck did you go Sly?_ Bentley thought to himself. Bentley felt that someone was behind him. He turned and saw Murray leaning against the doorway of the study.

"I know what you're thinking. I wish I knew where he was too little buddy." Murray stated breaking the silence in the room.

"It's not only that. I just wish that he didn't leave us." Bentley said looking down at the floor shaking his head.

"I wish that too, but there's a reason why Sly left us. When you look at it, he went out on his own just like I did. We just don't know what those reasons are . . . yet. Plus, if I came back to you and Sly after being gone away for so long then he'll some back too."

Murray walked over to see Bentley, kneeled down to see the turtle eye to eye, and placed his hands on his shoulders. "To shorten it up, he'll come back to us when he's ready to Bentley. He would never give up his thieving life and he sure as heck wouldn't leave you and me."

Bentley looked up and smiled at his best friend. He placed his hand on Murray's shoulder.

"Thanks pal."

The two of them enveloped into a hug and headed back outside to help the others unpack their things.

_Hours later . . ._

The gang had settled down into the evening after the long trip. Everyone had put their gear into their rooms and were now trying to occupy their time. Penelope was looking over her RC car and making repairs to it. Panda King was making adjustments to his bazooka. Dimitri was laying on the nearby couch listening to his music. Guru was in a meditative trance. Murray was in the kitchen fixing dinner for everyone. Bentley was on his laptop looking up any information on Kaine Island to see if anybody had noticed what had happened to it but, mainly he was trying to see if there was any mention of Sly. Bentley checked every possible source that he could think of but could find nothing.

Everyone eventually settled down for dinner at the table but it was mainly silent while everyone ate. Everyone one was at the table all except for one and it seemed to keep everyone on the down side. Dimitri eventually broke the silence.

"Man, it's way too quiet here at this table. We could at least talk about somethin' . . . no offense."

"Sorry Dimitri, it's nice to be back home but it's just not the same with Sly not being here with us." Penelope stated putting her fork down on the table.

"I agree with Penelope. Even I admit that I miss Sly being here too." Panda King stated before taking a sip of his tea.

"We all miss him and wherever he is, I'm sure he misses us too. However, I still can't figure out what caused Sly to leave on such notice especially after pulling off the heist so successfully, even though it wasn't part of the plan." Bentley replied.

"We'll see him again, but when that's probably one thing we'll never know," Murray stated.

"I suggest we wait it out until Sly returns or until something comes up," Bentley suggested.

"Yeah, but for how long Bentley?" Penelope asked.

"I don't know, Penelope. I just don't know," Bentley said shaking his head.


End file.
